This invention relates to the treatment of human skin with certain organosilicon compounds which are siliconates.
Mineral oil is a highly refined, colorless, tasteless, and odorless liquid mixture of hydrocarbons obtained from petroleum that has been used medicinally as an internal lubricant and in the manufacture of various salves and ointments. It is also known as medicinal oil, white mineral oil, heavy mineral oil, light mineral oil, liquid paraffin and paraffin oil. Mineral oil has long been the emollient of choice in creams and lotions. It is second only to water as a moisturizer ingredient. While mineral oil has been found to be an effective and economical emollient for skin care applications and provides softening, smoothing and a protective action on skin, it nevertheless suffers from the disadvantage that it is easily removed from the skin by washing the skin with soap. Thus the effectiveness and long term benefits of mineral oil enumerated above are of a limited duration. The water content of the outer layers of the stratum corneum of the human skin is a controlling factor in the appearance of dry skin symptoms. When the stratum corneum contains an adequate amount of water within the range of ten to twenty percent the skin remains flexible. However, when the water content falls below ten percent the stratum corneum often becomes brittle and rough and can exhibit scaling and cracking. The stratum corneum receives its water from the deep layers of the epidermis by diffusion or when it is brought into direct contact with water. The diffusion process is controlled by the water content of the skin as was well as the concentration gradient. In a very dry environment, the water loss from the external skin layers can be significant and often exceeds the rate of replacement by diffusion. An occlusive barrier of petrolatum placed onto the surface of the skin acts to retard the water loss to the environment and allows the skin surface to rehydrate by the diffusion process. Due to the effectiveness, low cost, and safety of petroleum derivatives, it serves as a useful occlusive moisturizer and contributes to dry skin prevention by protection and moisture retention, as well as dry skin repair by emolliency, lubricity and moisture restoration. However in accordance with the present invention, it has been discovered that certain organosilicon compounds provide skin care formulations that a consumer can perceive as being beneficial and more aesthetically pleasing.